The Second Generation
by goalkeeper96
Summary: My name is Christine Booth, and this is the story of how I fell in love with my best friend.
1. Chapter 1

It's not like it all hit me at once. No; I'd never really thought about it until I was older. See, Michael and I had always been friends. Even before I could remember, we were each other's world . Now, I'm not one to have many friends, and neither is he. Don't get me wrong, I had close friends, as did he; but we only really had each other. He loved me and I loved him; but as we grew up, it gradually changed. I didn't look at him the same way. I couldn't explain it, but I looked at him like... like my mother looked at my father. Like more than a best friend. Maybe I should start at the beginning. My name is Christine Booth, and this is the story of us.

* * *

Chapter 1: I was five, and he was seven.

When you're in kindergarten, life should be about finger painting, naps, and happiness. You should never have to be truly afraid of something. Fear should be a monster under your bed; not what we experienced.

I remember this day with great detail. It was a Wednesday, and it was sunny. I was wearing pink boots, and my hair was braided. I remember this day in such great detail, because it was the day that Michael Hodgins saved my life.

He was in first grade, a grade ahead of me, but his classroom was right across the hall from mine. We car pulled to school, and walked to class together everyday. It was what we were used to; innocence. We were ignorant to the world's cruelty until this day.

Spring had just arrived, and my teacher had left the window open. I could smell the blooming flowers, and the crisp breeze; it made me feel calm and happy; like everything in the world was right.

And then it happened.

I was thinking about what Michael and I could do after school, when I heard it. A loud boom, a crash; it was so loud, I had to hold my ears. I looked up at my teacher, and saw that her face was contorted in fear. The fire alarm went off, and everyone began screaming and running out of the classroom. I don't understand why, but I was frozen. Right there in my seat. I couldn't move.

"Christine sweetie, I need you to come with me. There's a bad man in our school, and we need to leave before he gets to us, okay honey?." the teacher informed me, but I couldn't acknowledge her. I stared at her blankly, and after a few seconds, she turned and ran out of the room.

And then it got quiet.

Dead silence. I could hear the buzzing of a fly from outside of the room. I was all alone, and I was five years old; so I did what any five year old would do. I cried. My vision became blurry, and I felt tears stain my cheeks. I was terrified, but yet I couldn't move. I was frozen. A few minutes passed by, and I suddenly heard footsteps. I began breathing heavily, and I realized that I was having a panic attack. The footsteps became louder, and soon after, I saw a man, wearing a ski mask, and holding a shotgun.

"Well what do we have here?" He murmured ominously.

I was so terrified, that I could no longer control my bladder, and let go of it. The man noticed and began laughing. "Aww, poor baby. Are you scared?" He asked me.

I nodded and said, "I want my Daddy."

"Too bad, so sad, little girl." He said, pointing the gun right at me.

My life was flashing before my eyes, but I saw movement from behind the man.

"Hey mister!" I heard Michael's voice penetrate my eardrums, and I began to have hope that I would possibly make it out of that room.

As soon at the man turned to face him, Michael, who was holding a fire extinguisher, pulled the nozzle, and released the white chemical onto the man. The man screamed as the chemical came into contact with his eyes. He fell to the ground and covered them with his hands. Michael ran over to me and grabbed my hand. Come on, Chrissy! We gotta go!"

For some reason, his words took me away from wherever I was, and brought me back into reality. I got up from my desk, and followed him out of the room. We were running down the hallway when we heard the man's voice again.

"God damn kinds!" We heard him scream.

And then I heard the noise again. I didn't plug my ears this time, I just continued running. My grip was tight on Michael's hand as we made it to the front of the building. We opened the doors and saw all of the policemen outside. I was still scared, and held Michael's hand tighter. I looked to him, and saw that his shoulder was gushing blood.

"Mickey! Your shoulder!" I said.

He looked at it and then back at me. "I'm okay." He said, becoming woozy.

And with that, I saw him fall to the ground. "Mickey!" I screamed. That was when my memory began to blur. All I can remember is the paramedics rushing over to Michael and taking him away, and my father calling out my name.

I looked over to the crowd and saw by dad elbowing his way through the police officers.

"Daddy!" I yelled, running towards him.

He picked me up quickly and I held onto him tightly. "That's my girl." He said. "That's it. Daddy's got you. You're safe now. It's okay, Baby girl. Daddy's here." He reassured me.

I cried into his shoulder, and told him what happened.

"Mickey's hurt daddy. We have to find him." I told him.

"Christine! Sweetheart." I heard my mother's voice.

"Mommy!" I said, jumping into her arms.

"I'm so glad you're okay, Chrissy. I love you, my sweet baby." She told me.

* * *

After a few hours of calling and searching, we finally found out what hospital he was at, and rushed there. When we found his room number, we knocked tentatively. My Aunt and Uncle turned to see us, and Aunt Angie ran over to me. "Oh sweetie, you're okay!" She said, wrapping her arms around me.

"Is Mickey okay?" I asked immediately.

Angie nodded and said, "He's been asking for you since he woke up."

I walked over to where he was laying in bed. He looked paler, and there were dark circles outlining his eyes, but he looked relieved.

"Chrissy, are you okay? Did the bad man come back?" He asked.

I shook my head, and climbed up onto the chair next to his bed. He scooted over and made room for me to sit down, and I did so. I looked to him and said, "You saved my life, Mickey. You were real brave. Why were you still in the school?" I asked.

"I didn't see you outside, so I went back in. You're my best friend. I wouldn't ever leave you anywhere all by yourself." He said.

Tears came out of my little eyes and I wiped them away. "You're the best best friend ever." I told him, wrapping my arms around him. He groaned slightly in pain, and I lent back.

I giggled and said, "Sorry."

He smiled. "Wanna see my stitches?" He asked, and I nodded eagerly.

* * *

After that day, Mickey was not only my best friend, but my protector. Even though we were small children, and he couldn't protect me from much, he would have given his life to save mine, and I would have done the same. This is still true today, but I'm getting ahead of myself.

* * *

A/N: So there's chapter one! I hope you liked it, and if you did, then please review!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter!

Chapter 2: He Was Thirteen, and I Was Twelve

Michael and I have had many firsts throughout our lives. He was the first person who bit me, the first person I went trick or treating with, and he was even first person that called me beautiful; but one first that I'll never forget was our first kiss.

It was our first co-ed party. I was in 6th grade, and he in 7th. Michael was invited to a popular girl's 13th birthday party, and I accompanied him. I wasn't really psyched about going, but he asked me, and I couldn't, and still can't, say no to him.

I was very nervous about the party, as was he; so I made my mom help me get ready.

"Mom, there's gonna a lot of people there; older people. What if they don't like me?" I questioned.

My mother smiled and me through the mirror as she was curling my hair. "Oh, they'll like you, Chrissy. You have your father's personality. They will like you just fine." She assured.

When my mother was done with my hair, she put a hint of blush on me, and a touch of lip gloss.

"There." She said. "All done."

"Thanks, Mommy." I said.

She hugged me from behind, and smiled. "You're welcome, sweetheart. Come down stairs when you're ready. Michael will be here in a few minutes." She said, walking out of the room.

I walked over to the full body mirror and scanned myself. I was just starting to show signs of puberty. My breasts were beginning to mature, and my hips showed slight widening. I was slowly forming from a little girl into a young woman. I noticed it in Michel as well. His voice was becoming deeper, and he was growing taller. We were both definitely in our awkward stage at this point, and it made for an interesting party.

* * *

I walked down the stairs, and saw my Dad waiting with a camera. He smiled warmly at me, and hugged me tightly.

He sighed. "You look beautiful, honey. I can't believe how much you've grown." He said.

I hugged him back and said, "Thanks, Daddy."

I saw my mom smiling fondly at us as I heard the doorbell ring. I walked over to it, and saw Michael smiling back at me.

"Hey, ... you look really pretty." He said nervously.

I smiled awkwardly and shifted my feet as I said, "Thanks, Mikey. Come in."

We walked back into the house and my Dad pushed the two of us together, and took our picture.

After, my mom fixed the flyaways in my hair, I saw Mikey shaking my Dad's hand. He was saying, "Take care of her. Don't let any guys take advantage of her. I'm counting on you." He said sternly. Mikey nodded fearfully.

"Booth," my Mom scolded. "they're going to a thirteen year old's birthday party."

Booth shrugged. "That I won't be at. Just doing my fatherly duties." He defended.

I rolled my eyes at him, as did my mother, and walked towards the door.

* * *

As Mikey, and I entered the party, we slowly began to notice that this was not the average party that we were used to. There was an upstairs dance floor, and a downstairs area for food.I didn't see any parents present, and kids were running wild. Mikey and I looked at each other with nervous smiles, and walked upstairs to where everyone else was at. We were greeted with loud music, and vulgar dancing. We saw two empty seats, and sat. A few boys walked up to me, and asked me to dance; but Michael stood up and told them that I was with him.

The first time he did it, I scowled at him and asked, "Why'd you say that, Mikey?"

He shrugged. "Your Dad told me to keep an eye on you. These guys are seventh graders. Trust me, you don't wanna dance with them." He told me.

"You're a seventh grader?" I argued with him.

He huffed in frustration. "It's different."

I wanted to argue, but I rolled my eyes and let it go.

* * *

A couple hours into the party, everyone gathered into a circle, and a girl grabbed a glass bottle from a table. She set it in the middle of the circle, and said, "Time for spin the bottle!"

Michel and I looked at each other skeptically, but walked over to the circle and sat. The rules of the game were that if whoever you landed on when you spun the bottle, you had to go into the closet and participate seven minutes in heaven. The first few spins, the boy and girl would smile at each other, and walk hand in hand into the closet.

Finally, after all the girls had gone, one of the girls said, "Chrissy! You haven't gone yet!"

They shoved the bottle in my hands, and ignored my protests. I reluctantly spun the glass bottle, and watched it spin around, and around. It finally stopped, and I realized that it had landed on Michael. I heard gasps from the girls, and hoots and hollers from the guys. "Well, what are you waiting for? Go on!" The birthday girl yelled.

My heart began racing, and I couldn't breathe. I looked to Michael, who had stood up. His hand was reached out for me to take, and winked at me. I could tell what he was saying in that wink, and I took his hand, We both slowly walked to the closet. As the door shut, behind us, I turned to Michael. I must have looked really scared, because he smiled at me and said, "It's okay, Chrissy. We don't have to do anything."

I raised an eyebrow at him, and said, "But that's the game, isn't it? We have to kiss, since we got picked?"

He took my hand and said, "Not if you don't want to."

I looked down at our clasped hands and said, "Do you want to?"

"What?" He choked out.

"Do you want to kiss me?" I asked again.

"Well... I uh... it's well..." he began to stutter.

"It's a yes or no question, Mikey." I giggled.

He stopped stuttering and looked down, embarrassed. "I've never kissed anyone before." He admitted.

"Me neither." I said.

He looked up at me and said, "Do you... do you want to? Kiss I mean. We can if you want to..." he said.

I was quiet for a moment before I looked up at him and smiled nervously. "Okay."

"Yeah?" He questioned.

I nodded, and straightened my dress.

"Okay." He said.

He reluctantly moved his hand to brush the stray curls out of my face, and slowly brought his lips to kept his hand on my cheek, and brushed his thumb over my skin. I felt a tingle in my stomach as my breath hitched in my throat. His lips were soft, and molded to mine almost instantly. Now, I know that many people say that your first kiss is awkward and terrible, but I can say with complete honesty that I thought mine was very beautiful and sweet. We didn't move from that position for a few seconds before he pulled back.

I slowly opened my eyes, and looked up at him. His hand was still on my cheek as he smiled at me apprehensively.

"You are very good at that." I said.

He chuckled slightly and said, "You too. It was... really nice."

His face was very flushed, and looked at his watch. "Times almost up."

I nodded and turned towards the door. As I opened it, everyone cheered for us, and I felt myself blush a deep crimson.

* * *

When Auntie Angela dropped me off at me house, Michael walked me to the door. I turned around to face him and smiled. "I actually had fun tonight." I mentioned.

"Me too. Thanks... thanks for everything." He said, stumbling over his words.

I chuckled at this. "You're welcome. I... I enjoyed myself very much."

I turned to open the door, when he grabbed my hand, and kissed me again. This kiss was slightly different than the previous, because his hands were on my hips, and mine on his shoulders. He broke away again, and looked lazily into my eyes.

"Sorry... I just _really_ wanted to kiss you again." He said.

My heart was pounding out of my chest, and laughed awkwardly. "It's okay. Good night, Mikey." I said, quickly opening the door and shutting it.

I lent up against the door and sighed. I enjoyed the kisses immensely, but I also knew that the person who kissed me was my best friend. My emotions were all over the place, and I began to breathe heavily. That moment was when I noticed that my mother was waiting up for me, and smiling at me.

"So he finally kissed you?"

* * *

A/N: Let me know if you have any suggestions for me! Please review!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter three: It Was His Fifteenth Birthday

After our first kiss, Michael and I decided to pretend that nothing had happened, and continue being best friends. Initially, it had hurt that he didn't want talk about it, but I soon realized that it was for the best. We were just kids, and it was better to just be friends.

Michael's birthday is on March 5th, while mine is on April 4th. He always teased me about being two years older that me during that month. The year that he turned fifteen, however, was not humorous.

Michael was a freshman in high school, and I was still a thirteen-year-old 8th grader. We had grown apart some in that year, due to our school separation, but we still did things together. We still hung out at our parent's work, and we still went to the movies, etc.; but Michael began to be distant. He would hang out with his male friends, and cancel on me. It stung; but I didn't push him.

His fifteenth birthday came along, and he planned to have a small party at his house. He invited me, but warned me that I'd probably be the only girl there. I told him that I didn't care. I was just happy that he finally wanted to hang out with me again.

I arrived at his house with his birthday present in hand, and a huge smile on my face. He opened the door and smiled at me. "Hey Chrissy."

I smiled and hugged him saying, "Happy Birthday, Mikey!"

We heard whistles coming from his friends inside, and Michael pulled away quickly. "Come on in."

Me being the only girl there, I wasn't very interested in the things we did, but I pretended to be, so that Michael's friends would like me.

"C'mon guys, let's go out and try out my new truck. We can go mudding!" One of Michael's older friends suggested.

"Yeah that sounds fun!" Michael agreed.

I didn't know what mudding was, but it sounded like it wasn't very safe.

"What's mudding?" I asked.

Everyone laughed, and my cheeks went red.

"Wow. Is she stupid or something?" One asked.

I went from embarrassed to angry in a matter on a second and stared the boy down. "Actually, I am two years younger than you, and probably still have a higher IQ." I said.

That shut him up, and he turned to Michael. "Dude, why'd you invite this nerdy bitch?"

I looked at Michael, hoping that he would stand up for me just like every other time, but he simply looked down and shrugged. This broke my heart. Up until that moment, I just assumed that Michael had been his same old person, but then I understood that things were changing. This made me tear up, and the boys continued laughing.

"Aww, look at the little baby! Are you gonna cry?" They taunted.

I looked to Michael one last time, begging him, with my eyes, to do what he always did; save me. But he wasn't coming to my rescue this time. I was on my own.

With that, I stood up and left the room. I wiped a stray tear away, quickly walking towards the exit. I bumped into my Uncle Jack on the way out, and looked up at him.

"Christine, what's wrong, sweetheart?" He asked.

I shrugged, and continued walking towards the door. "Thanks for having me over. Uncle Hodgie."

I walked home in the rain that day, and by the time I got there, I was shivering. I shut the door, and ran up to my room. I quickly changed into warm clothes and curled up into my bed. I started crying, not because of the teasing I'd just received; but because I could no longer trust my best friend. I heard a faint knock on the door, and tried to keep my voice steady. "I'm busy."

The door opened anyway, and my mother's voice broke the silence.

"Christine, why aren't you at Michael's birthday party? You told me to pick you up at six. It's only 4." My mother stated.

I rolled over to face her, and she saw my tears. She quickly walked over to my bed and sat down. "Baby, what's wrong? What happened?" she asked.

She stroked my hair, and I cried into her lap, telling her everything.

"Oh, Sweetheart." She said. "It's gonna be alright, baby. Just let it out." She soothed to me.

I continued to cry, and told my mother that I wanted to be alone. There was only one person that could make me feel better, and it was the very person that had hurt me.

A/N: This is part one of this chapter. Part two will be told from Michael's POV. Please review!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Sorry for the delay on this guys! Time just gets away fro me sometimes. But reviews speed up the writing process! XOXO- Mary.

About an hour after Christine left, the rest of my friends headed home. After the last person left, I rushed to get my phone and call Christine. I felt terrible. Why hadn't I said anything to my friends? Christine was my best friend, and I just sat there like a dumbass.

I called, but there was no answer. After the third try, I heard someone coming up behind me. I turned, and saw a disappointed look from my father.

"Michael Vincent, we need to talk." He said. I could tell he was upset.

"Not now, Dad. I have to talk to Christine." I said.

"I doubt she wants anything to do with you right now." He said.

I stopped what I was doing, and looked back at him. "You talked to her?" I asked.

He shrugged. "I tried. She was crying her little eyes out, and she left before I could stop her. I'm pretty sure that she walked home in the pouring rain, Michael. What did you do?" He asked.

I had been feeling like shit about the entire situation, but hearing those words made the guilt ten times worse.

"I... The guys called her a nerdy bitch. I knew I should have said something, but I just sat there like an idiot. Like she wasn't even my best friend. Like..."

"Like you didn't love her?" My dad finished for me.

I shook my head. "I screwed up so bad, Dad. I have to go talk to her."

My dad sighed. "It's gonna take more than talking, kiddo. You hurt her bad, man. You're gonna have to earn her trust back."

I nodded. "Yeah, I know. And uncle Booth." A chill ran down my spine. "He's gonna kill me. And I mean literally kill me."

Hodgins looked sympathetic and nodded. "I can't help you there, son. His daughter came home soaking wet and in tears. You're gonna have to take the blame, and take gonna do to you. That's part of becoming a man."

I sat on my bed and sighed. "Can you drive me over there? I gotta talk to her now."

My dad smiled and said, "Oh, but it's such a beautiful day! Why don't you walk?"

I groaned. That was fair, and I knew it; but it still irritated me.

* * *

When I arrived at Christine's house, I was absolutely soaked. I rang the doorbell, and waited awkwardly on the porch. Usually, I just walk in, but considering the circumstances, I thought it best to wait outside.

The door opened, and my eyes met a very angry Uncle Booth.

"Just the kid I was looking for." He said, opening the door and signaling me to come in.

I walked in slowly, hands by my side. I found myself walking toward the couch and sitting down. Booth sat down across from me on the other couch. We sat in silence for a moment before he spoke.

"So, Michael, what brings you here today?" He asked, not breaking eye contact with me.

I faltered under his gaze, and looked down into my lap. "I'm here to apologize." I said quietly.

"To who? Me? Aunt Tempe?" He asked. He knew what happened, but he wanted me to admit it to him.

"No, I mean I should apologize to you and Aunt Tempe, but I'm really here to apologize to Chrissy." I said, playing with the hem of my jeans.

He nodded and leant back on the couch. "I'm all ears."

I looked back up at him and sighed. "I'm sorry, Uncle Booth. I screwed up big time. I know I should have stood up for Chrissy. I always do. I just... I don't know why I didn't. As soon as it happened, I regretted it. I understand that you're angry at me, and you have every right to be, but could I please go talk to Chrissy? I need her to know how sorry I am."

"Why should I?" He asked.

I blinked, trying to decide what to say.

"I love her, Uncle Booth. I really _love_ her. She's my best friend. I can't see my life without her. I screwed up, but I need her forgiveness. Whether she gives it to me or not is up to her, but I really have to talk to her. Please?" I asked.

He waited a moment before he nodded curtly. "Go on, but this isn't the end of this conversation. Don't be long."

I nodded and hurried up the stairs to Christine's room. I knocked quietly, and heard her say, "I'm busy."

I opened the door anyway, and saw my best friend with red puffy eyes, and tears rolling out of her eyes. As soon as she saw me, she rolled over and told me to go away.

"I can't, Chrissy." I said gently, making my way to sit down beside her.

"Why? You didn't seem to have a problem leaving me alone earlier." She said. I hesitated. She was angry, and had every right to be.

"I'm sorry, Chrissy. I... I wasn't thinking. I didn't mean to hurt you." I said.

"But you did!" She screamed at me, turning around to face me.

I was shocked by her harshness. She never yelled at me. We played around and she yelled playfully at me from time to time, but never like this. I could see her trying to make her anger bury her sadness.

"Chrissy..."

"My name is Christine. Now leave me alone." She said, getting up from her bed and trying to push me out.

"Chrissy, please. Let me explain." I begged.

"Just leave me alone. Go hang out with your cool guys friends, with their cars, and their video games." She said, pushing me closer to the door.

"I don't want them, Chrissy. I want you!" I urged back at her, grabbing onto her shoulders and shaking her.

My words stopped her and she looked up at me. For the first time, I could see the raw hurt instead of anger. He bottom lip quivered and another tear fell out of her eye.

"Then why?" She asked, her voice breaking.

My heart broke at her words, and I wanted to die. Her sweet innocent face was contorted in pain, and it was me who had caused it.

"Chrissy, I was just... I wanted to be cool in front of my friends. There's no excuse that will make what did to you okay, but it's my birthday, and wanted to make my friends think that I was older and cooler. I wanted them to think I was a badass. But I'm not. I'm just an ass. Right when I saw the tears in your eyes, I wanted to beat the shit out of Tyler. He's a douche, but so am I. You're my best friend, and I should never have let him talk to you like that. I'm so sorry, Chrissy." I said, rambling.

I was holding her face up to meet mine by this point, and her hands were on my wrists. I saw another stray tear fall out of her eye, and wiped it away.

"All know is that I want to take away every ounce of pain that you're feeling right now, and I want to take today back."

"Well, you can't." She said, in a calmer tone.

"But what I can do is promise you that I will always stick up for you no matter what. I will, Chrissy." I vowed.

She shook her head. "I can't trust you."

She began to look away, but I urged her eyes back to mine. "Please, Baby. Let me earn your trust back. I'll do anything to make it okay between us."

She shook her head and began to walk away. I panicked and I did the only thing that I could think of. I pulled her back, and planted my lips on kiss was different than our first two kisses. It was passionate, and intimate. I actually knew what I was doing, and apparently, so did she.

When we broke apart, we both took in a deep breath, and I said, "I love you, Chrissy. I love you so much it hurts. Ever since the day I kissed you, I've loved you. I mean I've loved you for as long as I can remember, but I've loved you like... like loved loved since then. I need you to forgive me, though. Please, Chrissy. I don't think I can make it without my best friend. I don't care if you don't feel the same way about me, or if love me too. All I care about if getting my best friend back, because I don't know what to do without you. Today has probably been the worst day of my entire life, and it's only five o' clock." I said, tears burning in my eyes now.

She looked up at me for a long time, studying me, and thinking of what to say. Finally, she put her soft hands on my face. She nodded, and pushed up off of the ground to meet my lips again. She gently kissed me, then. She wrapped her arms around my neck, and held me tightly.

"I forgive you." She said, breathlessly after parting from my lips.

And just like that, everything was okay again. I nodded and opened my eyes.

"Oh, God, Chrissy. I missed you today." I said, hugging her tightly.

She sighed against me and nodded. "Forgive and forget, Michael."

I nodded against the top of her head, and kissed her hairline. "I love you, baby."

She giggled quietly, and for a moment, the mood turned light.

"I don't know what to say, Mikey." She said.

I smiled. She was so mature sometimes that I forgot she was thirteen.

"Don't say anything. Just go with it." I told her.

She nodded and hugged me again.

"My Dad's gonna kill you." She muttered.

I sighed. Yes, I knew that Uncle Booth's wrath was coming, but I would take whatever he wanted to give me. I had my best friend back,and that was all that mattered.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five: I Was sixteen, and He Was seventeen

I was given a very easy life. I mean, I had family all around me, a strong and protective dad, an intelligent and classy mother, a beautiful house, an Uncle who is a billionaire, an aunt who was a beautiful artist, a trust fund that my mother set up for me, and of course, I had every opportunity to succeed in life. However I was not spoiled. My mother and father were never shy about telling my what they have seen, working with murder, being in the military, and seeing the poorest parts of the world. I know that there is pain in the world, and I know that by being of the upper class, I can do something to help.

This is why Michael and I spent one day a week volunteering at a homeless shelter one summer. It wasn't to get praise from other people,to think better of myself, or to receive some certificate of appreciation. We did it because we know that people suffer in the world, and even if we were only two teenagers, we wanted to lessen that suffering.

Michael and I had been dating for three years and counting at the time; and we did mostly everything together. When I told him that I wanted to volunteer, he quickly agreed.

On our way to our first day at the shelter in his new truck, Michael looked to me and smiled. "You know, we're doing a good thing."

I nodded and took his hand. "Thanks for doing this with me. I know it's not the most exciting way to spend your summer, but we're going to help a lot of people."

He shrugged and said, "Spending my summer in a homeless shelter with you is better than going to Disney World without you."

I smiled at him. "Three years together, and you still surprise me with how corny you are. And that is such a lie, you love disney world! It's your favorite place."

He shook his head as we pulled into the parking lot. "My favorite place is wherever you are."

My cheeks turned red and I rolled my eyes at his words. "Aww, Michael. You just reached a new level of corny." I said as I leaned over and kissed his cheek.

I was about to pull away when he grabbed my hips. "You know, what I just said was very sweet. You should say thank you." He said with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"What if I don't?" I asked, accepting his challenge.

He shrugged and sighed deeply. "I guess I'll just have to tourture it out of you."

And with that, he began tickling me mercilessly. "Michael, stop! It tickles!" I was giggling uncontrollably, and Michael was enjoying every second of it.

"Tell me what I want to hear and I'll stop." He said in a song song voice.

I screamed and tried to squirm away from him, but he was stronger than me. "Okay, okay. Thank you for being so sweet Michael. You're not corny. I love how sweet you are. Now STOP TICKLING ME!" I said.

He relented, and kissed my lips. "That's my girl."

I was breathing heavily from the ticking, and his proximity to me made my heart accelerate all over again.

"We're going to be late, Michael." I said, staring at his beautiful blue eyes.

He kissed me one more time before setting me back down on my side and exiting the car.

When we walked into the homeless shelter, we began to notice just how many people really did need help in D.C. We walked up the the front desk, and tried to get the attention of a busy woman on the phone. She held up a finger at us, indicating us to wait a moment and finished her conversation.

"Can I help you?" She asked us after a few minutes.

"Um, yes. We're here to volunteer." I said, pointing at Michael and myself. "I called last week-"

"Oh wonderful! We need someone to help watch the nursery. One of our workers is out sick,and we're extremely busy today." She said, getting up and walking past us. We followed her into the main room, and we finally got a glimpse of how many people were actually there. We went down a long hallway, and finally made our way to a yellow painted room with clouds on the walls.

"This is the nursery. There are about fifteen babies/ toddlers in here today. This is Miss Carmen. She's one of the main workers, and the only one in today. She will be very happy to hear that she has two helpers. My name is Nancy. If you need anything, just let me know." She said, running out the door.

I looked to Michael, and he simply shrugged, walking . "Hi, Miss Carmen. I'm Michael, and this is my girlfriend, Christine. We're here to help you out today."

The busy woman who had a crying baby in her arms looked up and breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh thank goodness. Please, take her. I need to check on the other children." She said, shoving the baby into Michael's arms.

The little girl didn't look much older than a newborn, and Michael shifted her weight so that her head was in the crook of his elbow. He looked at me in surprise, and then back down at the little girl. "Hey there, Sweetheart. What's got you all upset? Hmm?" He whispered to her, rocking back and forth on his feet and patting her bottom.

I smiled at him and said, "She's adorable."

He nodded. "She's beautiful. Look at her." He said with a dreamy voice.

Just then, a scream came out of another room in the nursery, and I went to see what was wrong. When I walked in, I saw that the room was a bathroom, and saw a small boy was crying on the floor. I picked him up and hushed him. "Hey, what happened? Huh? Did you fall, Buddy?" I asked.

"I falled down and hurt my finger." He said, tears falling out of his eyes.

"Will you let me see?" I asked him. He presented his finger to me, but I saw no sign of a wound.

"How about I kiss it and that will make it all better." I said. The boy nodded, and I placed a gentle kiss on the tip of his finger.

"All better?" I asked him.

He smiled and nodded. "What's your name, buddy?" I asked.

"Kyle." He responded.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Kyle. My name's Chrissy." I said, walking him out of the bathroom.

"Hi Chrissy." He said shyly.

I smiled at him and walked back over to Michael. He was still holding the baby that had now quieted down and fallen asleep.

"This is my friend, Michael. Michael, this is Kyle." I said.

Michael smiled at Kyle and said, "Hey little man. Wanna play with some trucks?" He asked.

Kyle's eyes brightened, and he kicked his way out of my arms. "Yah. Lets go Mikle!"

Michael gently set the baby in my waiting arms and gave me a sweet smile. "I'll be over here." He said.

I looked down at the baby in my arms and smiled. "Let's go see what else Miss Carmen needs."

An hour later, I was sitting in one of the rocking chairs feeding the little girl a bottle, humming a tune to her. Miss Carmen had informed me that the baby's name was Molly, and she was one month old.

When I looked up from her angelic face, I saw that Michael was staring at me and smiling.

"What?" I said to him, raising my eyebrow.

He shrugged. "You just look very motherly." He said, taking a seat in the rocking chair beside me.

I smiled at him and shrugged. "I found out her name. It's Molly. Molly Johnson. Her parents both have off the books jobs, and have to leave her here during the day. They usually don't get back until really late." I informed him.

He nodded and I sighed. "She's only four weeks old. It's not good to leave your child in an unfamiliar place before they are six weeks old."

"Maybe they didn't have a choice." Michael considered.

I looked back down at Molly and kissed her forehead. "She's so beautiful. She has no idea where she is, or what's happening in the world. She's just hungry, and tired. I bet she misses her Mommy."

Michael's hand reached out and stroked my cheek. "It'll be alright, Baby. She'll be okay." He assured me.

"You don't know that." I said instantly.

He sighed playfully. "Well I guess that all we can do is come back here every other day and make sure that she's alright." He said.

I looked down and saw that Molly had finished her bottle. I picked her up and sat her on my shoulder, patting her back.

"You'd do that? We only agreed on once a week." I told him.

He shrugged. "I actually had fun today. Kyle's a great little guy, and Molly..."

Just as he said her name, she made her presence known by burping loudly, and spitting up a little on the towel place over my shoulder. We both chuckled as I wiped her mouth off.

"Can I hold her again?" He asked..

"I nodded. "Sure. Here." I place Molly gently in his arms. She fussed slightly, but snuggled into his warmth. "Shh, it's alright." He said, stroking her hair.

"You'll be a good dad. You know, whenever you decide to get married and have kids." I said.

"You mean when we decide to get married and have kids?" He corrected me.

I froze for a moment and he noticed the effect his words had on me. "C'mon, Chrissy. We've been together for three years. Do you really see yourself being with anyone else?" He asked me.

I shrugged. "No. I just didn't expect to talk about this until we were older."

He chuckled "I'm not saying right now. I'm just saying in the future. I think we have a bright future." He said, watching Molly drift off to sleep.

"So you want to have kids?" I asked him.

Standing up and setting Molly in the crib, Michael answered, "I don't know. I guess. But not for a long time. I want to be out of school, and able to provide for our kids before we even think about it."

I nodded. "I don't ever want to have to leave my child here. It's obvious that the children are not properly taken care of."

"Hey, that would never happen. We've got our parents, and Aunt Cam, and Uncle Sweets. They would never let that happen. _I _would never let that happen." He assured me.

I laughed suddenly, and he furrowed his brows at me. "What's so funny?"

I shrugged. "I just this it's funny that we're talking about having kids, when we've never even had sex." I laughed again. I didn't know why, but I found the irony of this quite hilarious.

He sat back in the rocking chair and winked at me. "I'm all yours. Just let me know when and where, Baby."

That stopped my laughing all together. I looked down, and my cheeks felt hot. "I.." I began, but didn't know what to say.

"Hey." I heard him say, and felt his finger on my chin. I looked up at him and he said, "I'm sorry. You know that I'd never push you to do that. We've never really talked about it before, but... I bought condoms a few months back."

"You what?!" I said, shocked.

He nodded. "I wasn't planning on using them... I just... in case you wanted to. We'd be safe." He said.

"Oh." I heard myself say.

"Yeah..." He said, pulling out his wallet. "I keep a condom right here, just in case, you know? I love you, and I want to make sure that we're safe our first time."

We sat in silence for a moment before I broke it. "T-thank you for being so... considerate, Michael, but I don't think that I'm ready yet. I know that you've been waiting for three years, but... I'm scared that I'm not going to know what to do." I said.

He smiled at me and kissed my cheek. "Don't worry, baby. I'll wait for you forever."

I smiled and rolled my eyes. "There's that corny dialogue I've missed today.

A/N: So sorry for not updating, but I just finished with school, and I'm on vacation this week. Let me know if you want to see Michael and Christine's first time. If not, I'll just skip on to the next chapter I have planned. Please leave me a comment letting me know how you liked it! XOXO- Mary


	6. Chapter 6

**ATTENTION: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SEXUAL CONTENT. IF YOU ARE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THIS, PLEASE SKIP THIS CHAPTER. IT IS RATED M.**

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A/N: So I got mixed reviews about wanting me to write their first time, so I just went ahead and wrote it. If you don't aren't comfortable with sexual activity, please stop reading now. If you are, then enjoy this chapter!

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Chapter 6: I was Seventeen, and He Was Eighteen

I remember this night very clearly. I knew what I was doing, and why I was doing it. I loved Michael Vincent. He was my boyfriend of four years, and my best friend of seventeen years. He knew everything about me. All of my secrets were known by him, but I knew that they were safe with him all the same.

The night before Michael went off to college, we went out to our favorite lake. It was the place that we always went to on special occasions. We found it was I was nine, and he was ten. We got lost in the woods, and couldn't find our way home, when all of the sudden, we found this beautiful lake. I doubt anyone else knew about it, because it was so far out in the woods. Eventually, we made it home, but we never forgot about that spot.

Michael didn't know what I had planned for that night, but I told him that I wanted to stay there that night. He didn't understand why, but he didn't question me.

On the way there, I looked at him nervously. He was going to college the next day, and I feared, as every girlfriend did, that he would want to experiment and date other girls. I knew that Michael was different than other guys, but it didn't stop me from fearing the worst.

When we got there, I got out of the car, and felt the warm August air against my skin. I looked up at the stars, and sighed. This was the night. I was finally going to lose my virginity.

Michael came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. I jumped slightly, but immediately relaxed. "Hey." I said.

"Hey." He returned, kissing my cheek. "I brought a tent." He continued. "I can set it up, if you want to wait in the truck."

I laughed and then nudged him playfully. "Yeah, right. C'mon. Let's make it together."

When we finally had the tent secure, Michael went back to the truck to get the sleeping bags and pillows. I walked over to the lake, and sat down in the grass. This was the most peaceful place that I'd ever been in D.C. The only noises were the crickets, and the other animals, along with the almost silent sway of the water. I took a deep breath and tried to calm my nerves. I wasn't really having second thoughts about losing my virginity, but I was apprehensive about giving Michael the only part of myself that I had yet to give. I heard him walking up behind me, and I turned around to face him.

"Everything's set up. You wanna go check it out? I made it pretty comfy in there." He said cockily.

I smiled half-heartedly at his joke, and said, "Can we just sit here for a few minutes? I want to talk to you about some things."

His smiled faded, and he sat down beside me. "What's going on, baby?" He asked.

Normally, I would have shoved him, and told him not to call me baby; but at that moment, I didn't really care what he called me.

He took my hand, and urged me to look at him. "Hey, is this about me going away? Because of you want me to stay..."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Not a chance. You worked hard for your scholarship. Plus you're only going to be an hour away. I'd never let you stay here just because I'd miss you." I told him.

He smiled and nodded. "So what's all this about? Why'd you want to come out here tonight?"

I looked at him for a moment, studying his features before I began. "I... Will you still want to be with me, even though you'll be at college with older girls?" I asked. It came out a lot more insecurely that I meant it to sound.

Michael took me into a hug and kissed the top of my dirty blond hair. "Of course, Chrissy. Don't doubt that for a second. I've been in love with you since I was thirteen years old, and I don't plan on ruining the best thing that ever happened to me for some stupid college girls. You're the only person that I ever want to be with." He told me.

I teared up at this. I knew that it was true before he even said anything, but to hear him actually speak the words made me fall in love with him all over again. My tears soaked into his shirt, and he tipped my chin up so I would look at him. "Baby, please don't cry." He told he, wiping away the tears on my cheeks.

"Sorry." I said, half sobbing, half laughing. "I just... I love you, and I'm going to miss you so much." I said, kissing him forcefully.

He kissed me back with just as much passion, and I got up on my knees to straddle his lap. This was not an unusual thing, because while we hadn't had sex, it wasn't like we never touched each other. His hands found my waist, and he held onto me tightly.

"Make love to me." I blurted out in between kisses.

His body went tense, and he leaned back to look at me in the eyes. "W-what did you say?" He asked.

I smiled at his shock and said, "Make love to me, Mikey. I love you. I've loved you for as long as I can remember. I've given you everything, but this. I want to give you this last thing before you go to college.." I said, panting.

He stared at me with wide eyes, and I felt awkward under his stare, as if he were judging me. "Mikey, please say something." I urged.

This brought him out of his comatose state, and he nodded. "A-are you sure? If you're not ready..."

I kissed him again, silencing his doubts. "I want this." I whispered.

He nodded again, and put his hands back on my waist. "Okay." He said.

I smiled an anxious smile, and kissed him again. The kiss quickly deepened as I put my arms around his neck.

His hands slid up and down the sides of my body, testing to see if I would object. When I didn't, Michael slowly brought his hands up to my breasts, and squeezed then lightly. This made me moan into his mouth, and lose my breath. I broke away from him, gasping for air, and he panicked. "I'm sorry. I thought you wanted..."

I took his hands and placed them back on my breasts. "I do." I said, leaning in to kiss him again.

We kissed like that for a few minutes, until he unbuttoned the first button of my blouse. I stopped him, and said, "Let's go to the tent."

"Okay." He said, standing up and taking my hand, leading me to where we would both give ourselves to the other.

He unzipped the tent, and looked back at me. "After you."

I took off my shoes,and walked into the roomy tent, spotting the "Bed" the he'd made for us. I heard him walk in after me, and I felt him take my hand. "Ready?" He asked me.

I looked at him and smiled shyly. "Yeah. I think I am. Are you?"

He laughed anxiously. "As I'll ever be."

I walked over to the "Bed" and sat down in the middle of it. "Care to join me?" I asked.

He chuckled. "Of course."

He sat down right across from me, and sighed. "You're so beautiful." he said, tucking my disheveled hair out of my face.

I blushed, and said, "Thank you. You make me feel... very beautiful."

With that, he began kissing me again, this time even more passionate that the previous. I crawled onto him again. His hands immediately went to my breasts, and I moaned into his mouth again. I found the hem of his shirt, and pulled it over his head. I looked at his chest, and sighed. He had a very muscular build, and there was only a slight amount of chest hair. I ran my hands up and down his body, and smiled at his reaction.

We resumed kissing, and Michael began unbuttoning my shirt again. When it was completely undone, I shrugged it off, and felt his warm hands on my bare skin. "Michael." I gasped.

"God, you're perfect." He said, finding my neck, and placing light kisses on it. I grabbed onto his belt buckle, and began undoing it, but I was having trouble with my shaky hands; so Michael offered a helping hand. He undid his belt, and unbuttoned his pants before pushing them off; leaving him in only his boxers. There was an obvious bulge in them, and he tried to cover it up. I took his hand, and kissed his palm. "It's okay." I said.

I took his other hand and placed them both where my bra clasp was. He knew what to do from there, and undid the clasp, making my bra fall into my lap. The cool breeze made my nipples stand to attention, and Michael stared at them with dreamy eyes. "You can touch them." I urged, putting his hand over my left breast. He squeezed the flesh and brushed his thumb over the hard bud on top. "Oh!" I exclaimed.

He looked at me in question, and I giggled. "That felt good. Do it again!"

He did as I asked, and I yelped again. He took it a step further, and pinched it gently. This made me moan even harder, and arched my back in his direction. Before I knew what he was doing, he took my nipple, and placed it between his lips, sucking, and licking. This made me scream with pleasure, and throw my head back. "Oh my God, Michael!" I exclaimed.

He kissed all the way back up my body until he found my lips. He pecked the, and then reached down to unzip my skirt. I helped him find the zipper and allowed him to slide it off of me. Then we were both in only our underwear.

This is when he laid me down on the "Bed" and left me for a moment. I saw him rummaging around in his pants before he retrieved his wallet.

"I hope you've changed out the condom since the last time we talked about it. Condoms expire more quickly in a wallet than in the box." I said.

"I know that. I read up on everything. I made sure that we would be safe. I promise. I change the condom out every month." He said, pulling it out and crawling back over to me. He moved himself so that he was in between my legs, and I smiled at him. "That is very sweet of you. Thank you for being so... so you."

He smiled and kissed me gently. "May I?" He asked, motioning towards my underwear.

My playful grin faded, and I looked dreamily into his eyes and nodded.

With that, he shoved his boxers down, and then hooked his hand onto the lace that covered my very core. He gave me one last questioning glance, and I nodded. He pulled them down, and then stared at what he had just uncovered. "Beautiful." He mumbled.

I put my hands on his neck and stroked it. "It's all for you." I whispered.

He tore the wrapper with his teeth, and pulled the condom out of it. One arm supported his weight, and the other rolled the condom onto his erect member. When it was secure, he brought his hand back up and stroked my cheek. "Last chance to back out." He said.

I shook my head. "Never."

He nodded, grabbing onto his hardness, and positioning it at my core. He slowly pushed inside of me, and I gasped. Slowly, more and more of him entered my body; and I winced when he was met with a barrier. This was it. This last thing that I could possibly give him. He had my heart, my love, my trust, my friendship, and my future, and now, he would have my virginity, and I would have his.

He hesitated when he felt the barrier, and I smiled. "It's alright."

He nodded, and slowly pushed through the wall. As the pushed the rest of the way in, I felt a pop, and then a tear. There was a stinging pain, and I groaned. A few tears slipped out of my eyes, and I felt his lips on my forehead. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Do you want to stop?" He asked me, guilt evident in his voice.

I shook my head, the pain subsiding slowly. "It's okay. Just go slowly." I told him.

He began to move in and out gently, and the pain gradually gave way to something else; pleasure. I moaned again, and Michael stopped. "Does it still hurt?" He asked me.

I shook my head. "Keep going." I said breathlessly.

He went faster, and I felt a coiling in the pit of my stomach. I could tell that he was holding back, so I grabbed onto his butt and pushed him further into me. "Harder, Michael. You won't break me." I told him.

We continued with the same speed for a few minutes before he began groaning louder and louder. "Chrissy, are you going to...?"

"I... I think so. It... it feels... OH!" And like a freight train, it all hit me at once.

Colors exploded behind my eyes, and a warm feeling spread throughout my body. My core contracted around him, and that was it for him. He too found his release, and collapsed on top of me. We were both breathing incredibly heavy, and holding onto one another for dear life.

When I finally came back to myself, I looked up at Michael with lazy eyes.

"That was amazing." I said.

He chuckled and rolled off of me, and pulling me to his side. "That was incredible."

I laid my head on his chest, and suddenly became very tired. "I love you." I told him again.

"To the moon and back." He whispered.

A/N: So this took a loonnggg time to write, so I hope you liked it! Please leave me a review if you enjoyed it! XOXO- Mary


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: She Was Twenty, and He Was Twenty One

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A/N:This Chapter is written in third person, and will be broken into three or more parts. I hope you like it!

Christine was sitting in her room reading a book on her bed, and relaxing. She and Michael had just gotten home from college a few days ago, and she was happy to have a few days off. Christine had decided to attend the same college as Michael, and pursue her interest in criminology, because she wanted to be an FBI profiler like her Uncle Sweets. While her mother did not like psychology personally, she would support her daughter with whatever she did. As Christine was getting to the climax of her book, Michael jumped into her bed and screamed, "BOO!"

She yelped at the sudden noise, and jumped so far that she fell off of the bed. "Ouch." She said.

Michael frowned and went over to where she had fallen. "Are you okay, Baby? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you that badly." He said, picking her up off the floor.

She scowled at him, and said, "Yes you did. That was the whole point."

He smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, well maybe. But I didn't want you to get hurt."

She rolled her eyes at him. "What do you want anyways? You know my Dad doesn't like you to be up here."

Michael sighed. "We live together on campus at school, and I can't be alone with you in your room?"

Christine shrugged. "I don't make the rules, Buster. Now what do you want?"

"Well, I'm actually here to talk to your Dad. I just thought I stop by and say hello." He said, rolling off of her bed, and standing up.

Furrowing her brows, Christine replied, "Why are you here to see my Dad?"

He shrugged his shoulder and smiled mischievously. "I guess you'll find out."

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Michael walked into the kitchen where he heard his Uncle Booth bustling around.

"Hey, Uncle Booth." He said.

Booth looked up from the paper her was reading and smiled. "Hey Mikey. How's it going, son?"

"Pretty good. It feels good to be back in D.C for a few days." He said, coming to sit across from him.

Booth nodded and went back to his paper. "Uncle Booth, there's something that I need to talk to you about."

This time when Booth looked up from his paper, he folded it and set it down. "Okay. I'm all ears."

Michael didn't know where to begin, so he simply took a velvet box out of his pocket and slid it across the table. Booth eyed it, and picked it up in his hands.

"Is this what I think it is?" He asked, his voice almost too calm.

Michael hesitated. "If you think that it's an engagement ring that I'd like to give to the woman I love, your daughter, then yes it is." He deadpanned.

Booth nodded, and sat there for a long moment, just staring at the box. Then he stood up, and walked out of the room, leaving the box on the table. Minutes later, be returned with a pink book. He sat down at the table, and motioned Michael to come sit beside him.

"Take a look." Booth ordered.

Michael looked at him, and then back at the book. He opened it to the first page, and saw a picture of Christine on the day she was born. Michael turned the page and there were more pictures of her first day of life. As he made his way through the pages, he smiled at the pictures, not only of the woman he loved, but the pictures of his best friend.

"She was always so beautiful. From the day she was born." Booth said, staring at the book.

Michael turned the page, and saw a picture of the two of them, dressed up, and ready to go to their first co-ed birthday party. Michael chuckled at this picture.

"I remember this night. That was the first night I didn't look at Chrissy as a best friend. I couldn't explain it, but I felt so protective over her, and..." He trailed off.

Booth sighed. "You fell in love with her that night." He finished for him.

Michael nodded. "And now... I want her to be my wife. I know we're young, and we're still in college, but... I don't think that's a reason to wait. I've been in love with her for nine years. I don't see myself ever being with anyone else. I just... I want to be with her for the rest of my life." He admitted, looking at the older man.

Booth stared at him for a moment, searching his eyes to see if there was anything but truth in them; which there was. There was love, fear, and joy; but above all there was truth in his eyes.

Booth slowly extended his hand. "You have my blessing, son." He said.

Michael beamed, and shook his hand saying, "Oh God, I really thought you were going to say no."

"I knew you'd ask on of these days, I just figured it'd be a few years from now." He said, sighing heavily and looking back at Michael. "You know how to treat a woman with respect, and I trust that you will do so for my little girl. **But.** If you fail to do so, just remember: Even if I am older that I used to be, I'm still a trained sniper, and will use that to my advantage if need be.. Just keep that in mind."

Michael's blood ran cold at the threat, but he knew he wouldn't have to worry about that. He loved Christine, and would die before he ever hurt her.

"Yes Sir." He said.

Booth smiled then. "Good. I'm glad we have an understanding."

Michael nodded and said, "I'm planning on asking her on Thanksgiving. I want it to be romantic, so I'm working on a speech."

Booth nodded, and slapped his shoulder. "Good man."

With that, he picked up the baby book, and walked out of the room.

Michael sighed and put his head on the counter. "One yes down, one more yes to go."


	8. Chapter 8

Thanksgiving rolled around, and the Booth household was filled with family. The Hodgins family was, of course, invited. Cam and Arastoo also came, along with Sweets, his wife, and their three children. Max was pushing eighty, but was still as agile as ever, and made sure that he came to the Thanksgiving feast. Parker had married a woman who had a 4 year old son, and all three were invited to the Booth household as well.

After a filling dinner, the group retired to the living room for some down time. The children were playing in the floor, and everyone else was sitting around the fire and enjoying each other's company.

Everyone was enjoying themselves when Michael stood up and said, "Everyone, may I have your attention for a few moments, please?"

Everyone became silent, and waited for him to continue.

"Thank you. So, I thought in the spirit of Thanksgiving, we could all say one thing that we're thankful for. Why don't we start with Uncle Sweets over there, and I'll finish." He said, turning to Sweets.

The older man nodded and sat up. "I'm thankful for our dysfunctional, crazy family; and I'm thankful that we all have each other."

Next was Sweets' wife, and she said that she was thankful for her three children, and her husband. As the line went along, each person revealed something that they were thankful for. Most of everyone said family and friends, not including the children; who were thankful for toys and candy. When it was Michael's turn, he smiled, and turned to face everyone.

"Well, I am thankful for all of my family and friends, and I am thankful for my candy too; but I'm most thankful... for this beautiful woman right here." He said, turning to face Christine.

"I've known her since I can remember. She's been my best friend for twenty years, and, I've been in love with her since I was thirteen. I've watched her grow up from a little girl, into a beautiful and amazing woman. She has everything that I could ever possibly give her, my love, my support, my heart, and now... I want to give her my future." Michael looked into his lover's ever as he knelt down in front of her. Pulling out the velvet box he'd been keeping safe in his pocket, he opened it to show a beautiful, princess cut, engagement ring. Looking up again into her eyes.

"Christine Angela Booth, will you do me the honor of being my wife?" He asked with hopeful eyes.

Christine watched as her boyfriend spoke while looking at her so lovingly. She listened intently to what he had to say, and was brought to tears. She loved this man with all she had in her heart. No man could ever take his place. When she saw that he was kneeling down, her heart stopped. Was he doing what she thought he was doing? Was he proposing? Her blood was rushing in her ears when she heard it.

"_Christine Angela Booth, will you do me the honor of being my wife?"_

The entire room was silent as they all waited for the verdict. Tears were streaming down Christine's face, and her hands were shaking as she stared at the ring and then at Michael. She slowly smiled a teary eyed smile and nodded. "Yes."

* * *

As soon as he heard the word, the worry, and fear drained from his body. He let out the long breath that he'd been holding, and beamed at her.

"You mean it? You'll marry me?" He asked frantically.

She nodded and wiped the tears from her cheeks. "Yes, I'll marry you." She said, letting out a tremulous laugh.

Michael pulled the ring from the box and placed in on her finger with shaking hands. Placing a kiss on her hand, he stood up and pulled her with him. "Oh God, you said yes." He whispered in her ear.

"Did you have doubts about that?" She asked.

He shrugged. "I just really want you to be my wife."

She looked up at him with her bright blue eyes. "I will be."

He kissed her forehead and then looked around the room, seeing that mostly everyone was smiling. His parents were both wide eyed and smiling, his Aunt Brennan was tearing up, the kids were confused, but smiling along with their parents, and while Booth wasn't smiling, Michael saw the acceptance and trust. That's all he could ask for.

* * *

Later, when congratulations and toasts were made, and everyone had gone home, Christine walked into the kitchen to find her father nursing a beer at the island. "Hey, Daddy." She said, walking fully into the room.

Booth turned around to face his daughter and smiled. "Hey, Princess."

She slowly walked towards him and sat down beside him. "What are you doing?" She asked him.

He sighed. "Oh, just thinking. What are you doing awake? It's almost midnight."

She shrugged. "I can't sleep." She said, looking down at the new piece of jewelry that was placed on her left hand. "I'm just... overwhelmed."

Booth took her hand and brushed his thumb over it. "You wanna talk about it, Sweetheart?"

She shook her head. "I'm getting married, Daddy. Me. I can't believe it. I'm just really happy, and scared, and excited... I can't sleep."

Booth smiled at her and stood up. He walked over to the refrigerator and pulled out another beer and placed it in front of her. "There. That'll help." He said, smiling.

She looked up at him questioningly. "I'm not twenty one yet."

Booth rolled his eyes. "Yeah, and I'm sure that you've never had any alcohol."

She gave him a mischievous smile and shrugged. She opened the beer and took a big swig. "Michael asked you for my hand, didn't he?" She asked.

Booth nodded and said, "He's the only man that I'd ever hand you over to."

Christine gave him a look and said, "I'm not property, Dad. You can't 'hand me over.'"

He nodded. "I know you're not, but that doesn't mean that I won't do everything in my power to always protect you." He said

She thought about this for a moment and then rolled her eyes. "I guess I can live with that." She took another swig of beer and bit her lip. "Do you think that we're making a mistake? Michael and I?" She asked.

Booth took a sip of his beer and asked, "Do you think that you're making a mistake?" He countered.

She shrugged. "I don't know. I love Michael, but is that always enough? I mean you and Parker's mom loved each other, but you two didn't work out."

Booth nodded. "That's true, we didn't. But I'll tell you right now: I didn't love Rebecca the way that Michael loves you. You two have a lot more than she and I ever did."

"How do you know?" She asked, furrowing her brows.

"I've been watching you two. Even when you were little, I'd watch you and Michael, playing and figuring things out together. I know what real love looks like, and I can tell you right now; you're never going to find anything better than what you have now. Michael truly loves you. Why else would he put up with your crazy protective dad all of these years?" He gave her a smiled and she nodded.

"That's true. You have to be a special person to put up with my crazy Daddy." She said, nudging his side.

He nudged her back and said, "Yeah, but you love me anyway, don't you.?"

She nodded. "Yep. I do." She took another gulp of the beer and said, "Thanks for the talk, Dad. I really needed it" She said, standing up and kissing his cheek.

"Anytime, Princess." He said.

She looked back at him and gave him a disapproving look. "I'm twenty, Dad. Why are you still calling me princess?" She asked.

"I don't care how old you are. You'll always be my little princess." He said.

She rolled her eyes again and walked away. "Goodnight, Daddy."

"Goodnight Princess!" He called out to her.

When Christine made it up to her room, she sat on the bed and sighed.

Looking up and the ceiling, she giggled. "I'm getting married."

* * *

A/N: I hoped you guys liked the chapter! Please review if you enjoyed it! I update more quickly when I get feedback, so help me out? Anyways, I already have the next chapter planned out, so hopefully I'll have that up by the end of the week.


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